Marianne Martinez
Panning in Reaper is a useful function to know, especially when you want to create a stereo effect. The default panning knob lets you pan left, right, or center, but you can also use dual panning to pan in two directions at once. To do this, right-click on the pan knob and select Dual Pan. You can also try recording the same part twice and panning one to the left and the other to the right. It's important to note that your input settings can affect panning, so make sure you're recording a mono signal to a mono input and a stereo signal to a stereo input.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Default panning options | Left, center, and right |
| How to pan to one side | Choose "Dual Pan" in the drop-down menu to pan left and right audio tracks individually |
| How to pan mix | Click the envelope button on the track, check the pan box, and insert points or draw your own custom pan shifting |
| Alternative method for pan mixing | Click on the track and hit "P" to bring up the pan envelope, then insert points and change the pan pot |
| Pan laws | Different methods that devices and software use to determine how much gain is applied or subtracted when panning a track in a certain direction |
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What You'll Learn
Panning a mono guitar signal to a stereo input
One method to achieve panning is to use the "'Dual Pan' feature in Reaper. Right-click on the pan knob and choose "Dual Pan" from the drop-down menu. This will allow you to individually pan the left and right audio tracks, providing more control over the stereo image.
Another approach is to create time discrepancies between the left and right channels. This can be done by duplicating the mono signal, panning one hard left and the other hard right, and then delaying one side by a few milliseconds. This technique, known as the Precedence Effect, tricks the ear into perceiving a wider soundstage.
Additionally, you can experiment with various effects and plugins to create a stereo image from a mono signal. For example, adding a short reverb, using chorus-style effects, or utilizing plugins like Ozone's Imager or Dimension Expander by Xfer can help create a sense of width. You can also try doubling the channel and adding a slight formant shift of 5-10 cents on one side and the negative value on the other.
It's worth noting that panning laws also play a role in how the signal is affected when panned to one side. Different panning laws determine how much gain is applied or subtracted when panning a track to either direction. Understanding these laws will help you achieve the desired balance and volume for your mono guitar signal in a stereo mix.
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Panning a stereo track
To create a more expansive stereo mix, you can duplicate the track multiple times and experiment with different panning settings on each duplicate. However, simply changing the panning will not make the track more stereo; you need to add effects to differentiate the audio and create a sense of stereo width. This can be achieved by introducing slight variations, such as detuning, slight delays, or saturation to one or more of the duplicated tracks.
Additionally, you can split stereo tracks into mono tracks in Reaper. By right-clicking on the item, you can select from options like stereo/mono left/mono right/stereo flipped. This allows for more flexibility in panning and mixing. It's worth noting that recording mono sources to stereo tracks can sometimes lead to issues, so it's recommended to record mono sources to mono tracks.
Another aspect to consider is the "pan law," which dictates how much gain is applied or subtracted when panning a track to either direction. Reaper offers different pan law settings, which can impact the volume of the panned signal. For example, a -3dB pan law will result in a +3dB boost for hard pans. Understanding and experimenting with different pan laws can help you achieve the desired panning effect.
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Panning a track in multiple directions
- Right-click on the pan knob.
- Choose "Dual Pan" from the drop-down menu.
- Now you can individually pan the left and right audio tracks instead of just changing the balance between them.
It's important to note that dual panning will not have an effect unless the tracks are different. To achieve stereo width, you need slight variations in the tracks, such as a detune, slight delay, or something similar. One method to widen an instrument is to record the same part again on a separate track and pan one left and the other right. Simply having a stereo output of one track will result in a centre-only sound.
Additionally, you can experiment with "pan laws," which describe different methods that devices and software use to adjust the gain when you pan a track to either direction. Reaper likely has a setting where you can specify the type of pan law you want to use. You can try sending your track to a new track, adjusting the settings, and then panning the original track to one side and the new track to the other.
Another consideration is whether you are recording to a mono or stereo input in Reaper. When recording a mono guitar signal to a stereo input, it will only come in on either the left or right side (input 1 = left, input 2 = right). To avoid confusion, record your mono signal to a mono input, and you can still apply stereo effects later.
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Using the 'Dual Pan' setting
The Dual Pan setting in Reaper gives you more options for panning mono tracks. For example, you can put different FX on channels 1 and 2 and then pan them independently to create unique sounds. This can be especially useful if you want to move one channel closer to the centre, as dual pan is better suited for this than the default pan mode.
To access the Dual Pan setting, right-click on the pan knob and select "Dual Panning". This will give you two panning knobs for your stereo track, allowing you to adjust the panning for each channel separately.
It's important to note that the Pan Law in Reaper can affect the volume of your tracks when panning. The default Pan Law is set to 0dB, which means there is no compensation for volume when panning. You can change the Pan Law by going to File > Project Settings > Advanced > Pan Law/Mode. From there, you can adjust the Pan Law to something like -3dB and select the "linear scale above -3dB pan law" option to maintain better control over the volume of your tracks during panning.
Additionally, you can save your preferred Pan Law and mode as the default project settings, so you don't have to change it every time you open a new project. This can be useful if you have a specific Pan Law and mode that you prefer to work with.
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Pan laws and how they affect panning
Panning laws govern the perceived sound level when panning a mono signal across the stereo field. In other words, panning laws dictate how loud a sound is as it is moved from one side to another. For example, a 3 dB panning rule would mean that the signal is at full level when the pan position is centered and becomes progressively louder as the pan moves to either side.
The pan law you choose can affect a mix's overall sound, particularly if you have a lot of mono sound sources. For example, a user on Gearspace mixed an entire album in -3db pan law, and the last song was set to -6db. They struggled for hours to get the same feel as the other songs, as the drums did not sound the same with -3db.
In Reaper, the default panning knob only allows for left, center, and right panning. However, you can achieve dual panning by right-clicking the pan knob and choosing "Dual Pan" in the drop-down menu. This allows you to pan the left and right audio tracks individually.
When recording a mono guitar signal to a stereo input in Reaper, it will only come in on either the left or the right side (input 1 = left, input 2 = right). To avoid this confusion, record your mono guitar signal to a mono input in Reaper, and you will still be able to use stereo effects later.
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Frequently asked questions
To pan a track to the left or right, click on the track and hit 'P' (by default), then the pan envelope will come up. You can insert points and change the pan pot.
Right-click the pan knob and choose "Dual Pan" in the drop-down menu. You can then pan the left and right audio tracks individually.
When you record your mono guitar signal to a stereo input, it will only come in on either the left or the right side (input 1 = left, input 2 = right). To avoid confusion, record your mono guitar signal to a mono input in Reaper, and you'll still be able to use stereo effects later.
